Make It Right
by brillyweed
Summary: Aaron Hotchner is worried that he's spending too much time thinking about Spencer Reid. It's wrong, but does he want it to be?
1. Chapter 1

**I do not claim ownership of Criminal Minds or any of the characters.  
><strong>**This is the first fiction I've ever published on the internet - constructive criticism is more than welcome. **

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><p>Aaron Hotchner had decided that there was nothing wrong about thinking of his subordinate, Spencer Reid, semi-clad. The majority of people were bound to have wandering thoughts during stressful times, and Hotch was no exception, he knew that. It didn't make him gay – he was merely curious: As he tried greatly to concentrate on editing a case file, he couldn't help but wonder whether Spencer Reid's legs were as slender in real life as they were in his imagination. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by media liaison Jennifer Jareau.<p>

"Sir, we have a new case and it's pretty close to home. A man has been found dead at a motel not far from here and it's linked to three other murders this side of Virginia."

"I'll be with you in two minutes."

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><p>"Uh, Hotch? I have a favour to ask, if you're not busy."<p>

"Come on in Reid, take a seat." Hotch was surprised that he wasn't the only one left in the Office; It had been a long day. "So how can I help you? Is it something to do with the new case?"

"I guess you could say that – I was wondering actually if you knew of a place I could stay? I just got a call, my apartment and the one below it got flooded and I can't go back there for a few days. Usually I'd stay in a motel but the case has made me feel somewhat uneasy, y'know?"

"I see," Hotch looked at Spencer with his usual stern, but not unwelcoming stare. "And none of the team has a spare room, or a sofa you could sleep on?"

"Nope. No-one has room for me, so I figured if anybody could help me out; it would be you, Hotch." The older man felt a blush creep up his neck at the personality of the last statement, but made sure to disguise his pleasure.

"Well, there is a spare room at my house and you're more than welcome to stay, but I must warn you that should you take up the offer, you will be awake at the crack of dawn every day with Jack and his cartoons."

Reid smiled. "You're sure, Hotch?"

Aaron Hotchner thought that perhaps there was something wrong with him thinking about taking the young genius into his mouth, burying his face between Reid's honey coloured thighs. Especially since the boy was sat at the desk in front of him.

"Hotch…I said, are you sure?"

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><p>The silent drive to Hotch's house wasn't awkward. Not for Spencer, at least. He was extremely grateful for his superior's kindness, and he wasn't about to let that go unnoticed. They had detoured to Spencer's apartment to salvage what they could of his clothing, which wasn't much, but would do. As they arrived at the house, Spencer grabbed his bundle of clothes, and was surprised to find Hotch opening the door for him, offering a hand to help him step out onto the kerb. Hotch found himself admiring the way Spencer's eyes reflected the street light, giving him a magical presence that made him shine, illuminating him in the darkness.<p>

"Jack is at Jessica's tonight and he'll be back tomorrow afternoon. I've informed him that you'll be here, but please don't be offended if he's initially rather shy."

"Please Hotch, you're speaking to the socially-awkward genius here. If anybody is going to be shy, that person will be me."

"Of course," A grin begged its way over Hotch's lips. "It's late; I'll show you to your room."

Hotch guided Spencer swiftly into the house and up to the spare room. It was large, but not overly lavish. Spencer could easily imagine himself living there, lodging, perhaps. They bade each other good night and upon his exit Hotch made sure to leave the door slightly ajar, allowing some of the light from the hallway to spill into the room – It would do no good for Spencer to spend his nights at Hotchner's house afraid. Spencer smiled at the gesture and thought to himself as he got changed into his pyjamas. He hoped that nobody at work would give up the fact that Hotch had in fact been the first person he requested the favour from.

In the comfort of his own room, Hotch could finally relax. He'd been thinking so deviously about having his way with the younger boy throughout the course of the day, that now they were beneath the same roof it was nothing short of torture.

Aaron Hotchner _knew_ there was something wrong when he finally gave into temptation, and his hand breached the waistband of his boxers.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not claim ownership of Criminal Minds or any of the characters.**

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><p>After what seemed like an age of furiously jerking himself off, using the tightness of his fist in place of where he wanted Spencer's lips to be, Aaron Hotchner felt his groin swell and as he released into his underwear, a moan penetrated the air – Not loud enough to wake an individual caught in deep slumber, but just loud enough to stir Spencer Reid, the boy in the room down the hall who had been enjoying his book.<p>

Spencer gingerly lifted off the bed and began to edge himself out of his room, towards Hotch's. He was unsure of the provocation of the noise that Hotch made, and he wanted to be sure that his boss wasn't in any trouble. He imagined himself bursting through the door, startling an unsub and giving Hotch just enough time to grab his gun. What he actually burst in on was not what he was expecting at all.

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><p>"Hotch? I uh, I am so sorry. I just thought that…"<p>

"Get out."

"Sir don't be embarrassed, as shocking as it may seem, this isn't the first time I've walked in on a member of the team, shall we say, cleaning themselves up. I seem to have an awkward proneness to barging in on people's private time."

Hotch could not quite believe his eyes or ears. Was Reid _really_ stood in his doorway, trying to talk to him while he was covering his manhood with his bare hands? Was he really stood there wearing _nothing _but black linen boxers? It was too late. Subconsciously, Aaron Hotchner's brain had latched on to the fact that there was a bulge in Reid's pants and not five minutes after finishing, he found himself becoming aroused by the boy all over again. This time though, it was real. And he couldn't hide the reality from his subordinate.

"Well this is certainly not the way I envisaged myself spending the night at your house, Hotch. It's weird; I don't even feel embarrassed. Is that wrong?"

What was the older man supposed to say? Of course it was wrong, and if Strauss ever - for whatever reason - caught wind of this undeniably suspect situation, the implications alone would be enough to get both agents Reid and Hotchner at_ least _a suspension.

"Spencer I understand that you appreciate your being here is an out of work, informal engagement, but no matter what either of us are feeling right now, be it down to confusion or legitimate passion, we cannot act on our impulses nor can we do anything that may affect our careers in the immediate future."

"That makes sense. Y'know, I was sorta hoping you wouldn't say something like that, but it was inevitable. Should I leave altogether? I don't want things to be awkward between us, Hotch."

He sighed, and sat down on the bed, making no attempt to hide himself now. "You don't have to leave. Go get some sleep and we'll talk about this tomorrow after work. Remember tomorrow: I am your boss and your boss only. Our relationship's sole foundation is that we share the same workplace."

"Got it. I'll speak to you tomorrow."

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><p><strong>Apologies for the shortness of my chapters; it's just how I write.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not claim ownership of Criminal Minds or any of the characters.**

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><p>"Ouch, what's the deal with clockin' in with the boss, kid?"<p>

Morgan's regular morning flash of his pearly whites was contagious, and as much as Reid wanted to roll his eyes at the older man's remark, he couldn't help but replicate the grin.

"Actually Morgan, it was sheer coincidence. The probability of a series of coincidences is essentially…Ah, rambling." He was only acutely aware of the glances that his team members gave to each other as he presented seemingly pointless facts, but an acute awareness was all he needed. Rambling wasn't attractive, he had to remember that.

Hotch swooped in and just caught the exchange of words. "God, Spencer's intelligence and rambling just make him more attractive." He contemplated, simultaneously interpreting Rossi and Morgan's looks and speculating over how on earth they didn't find such a trait impossibly endearing, or were at least managing to hide it.

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><p>"Reid, I'd like to see you in my office."<p>

He hopped up from his desk and with a skip in his step, made his way towards Hotch's office. Was it wrong for him to be so happy about the unfortunate accident the night before? He was glad that some sort of definition was made of the feelings he and his boss shared in such a sudden, albeit strange circumstance.

Around the room, the others were starting to sense something going on. A blossoming romance, perhaps? There was definitely something. Prentiss noticed Reid's cheeks flush when Agent Hotchner had called him. JJ; she was wondering why her Spence was so much more upbeat than usual. Naturally, a team full of profilers were attuned to changes in body movement and facial expressions, but apparently it didn't give an upper hand when it comes disguising them.

Spencer slipped in through the door, cueing the Chinese whispers around the room he'd just left.

"Hell no. Hotch is a professional guy and he wouldn't risk screwing his career up by screwing Reid."

"Come on, Morgan – You didn't see the tension between those two? It's obvious." Prentiss was adamant that there were goings on of the passionate kind between the geeky doctor and the unwavering leader. As she called Garcia in to present the evidence to, and hopefully get on-side, Reid stepped out of Hotch's office. In his head he recited "He is just my boss. He is just my boss." Yet he couldn't help but have his mind linger on what Hotch had actually said: "I am just your boss…until tonight."

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><p>After a long day at work, Hotch was feeling guilty as he drove home alone. He'd only requested that Spencer take public transport to the house so as to dissuade the others from making any assumptions, however little did he know, everybody was quickly drawing conclusions from the day's turns of events.<p>

They arrived not a minute apart, and had yet to settle down with their coffee when Jessica and Jack burst through the front door, cradling masses of paper filled with brightly coloured doodles.

"Daddy, all of these pictures are for you!"  
>"Wow Jack, all of them?"<br>"Well, I did some for your friend Spencer. Aunt Jessica helped but I did most of them all by myself."  
>"That's fantastic, I'm proud of you. Shall we see your Aunt to the door and get you a snack? Then we can introduce you to Spencer and show him your pictures."<br>"Okay Daddy."

Spencer listened in on the conversation and part of him so wanted be the third piece to that magnificent puzzle. He didn't just lust over his boss - He loved him. Spencer's mind relaxed in a place where he could tell his Mother that he had a magnificent partner and a beautiful son called Jack. Pangs of desire made his heart ache, and the tapping on his knee snapping him back to reality was somewhat relieving. Jack wanted to sit on his knee. So much for the shy boy Spencer was preparing to greet.

Jack showed his Daddy and his friend the pictures he'd drawn, pointing out excitedly the scenes where he was a big boy who could save people too. Aaron Hotchner swelled with pride and the way Spencer was snuggled closely to his son made him question the commitments he had made to his job. Would it be worth giving up what he loved, what made Jack envy him, what made people safer? For someone as complex as Spencer Reid?

His son questioned why he got to eat a microwave dinner and watch cartoons, and Hotch felt guilty for effectively getting rid of Jack for the evening, but there were important matters to discuss and it wouldn't do well to have him overhear the adult's conversation. After putting Jack to bed, Hotch returned to the kitchen where Spencer was cooking up a meal - He had insisted - it was, after all, the least he could do considering how hospitable Hotch had been thus far.

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><p>They sat down to a steaming pasta dish; for Hotch, accompanied by a stiff drink that Reid had no intention of <em>ever <em>letting past his lips. Silence entombed the pair and this, Reid thought, was how it should have felt when he had walked in on Hotch the night before.

"How do you feel?" Hotch enquired. Reid knew Hotch had no need to be concerned with his well being, but was rather trying to figure out what on earth was happening.

"Confused. I've never known such strong feelings for somebody and to be frank I'm not sure how to deal with it. Honestly? This is a long term thing. Walking in on you last night wasn't embarrassing, and I think that's because it satisfied a curiosity I've had with me for eternity, Hotch." Reid wasn't sure whether a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, or his heart had temporarily leapt into his mouth.

"I see. Spencer my feelings are also undeniably strong, although unlike yourself, it has been for little over a fortnight. Do you understand why I have been making my reservations? Also, I have Jack to think about."

Reid nodded and no other words were spoken between them. For one night, they'd said quite enough. After finishing their meal, they did the dishes together still in silence, and after finishing up in the kitchen, Hotch lead Reid into the hall and up the stairs with a hand place on his lower back. Urging him into his room, Aaron Hotchner kicked himself for not pulling the youngster close. His longing for an embrace would simply have to wait.

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><p><strong>I hate myself too OH MY GOD I was so hoping for a kiss. Also I apologise for the rushed ending. Even fics I write don't go how I want them to. :')<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not claim ownership of Criminal Minds or any of the characters.**

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><p>Waking up with the sun on a Saturday morning was a marvellous feeling, one Aaron Hotchner savoured for as long as he could. The satisfaction of knowing his son would not yet be awake for a couple of hours, but was safe and sound, peaceful in his bed, was comforting. It was true that the Behavioural Analysis Unit didn't stop and take a break at weekends –Hotch had asked to be on call. This Saturday was reserved for taking Jack to the park to play football, and he was aware that Spencer also had effectively taken the day off, so was hoping that he would take up the offer to join them.<p>

Waking up to Jack tugging at his nose was uncomfortable, but when it happened, Aaron Hotchner treasured the precious moment…He must have fallen asleep again. This time, a faint smell of pancakes accompanied his wake-up call, attracting him to the kitchen.

"Come on Jack; let's go down, I think Spencer has started breakfast."

Sure enough, when the father and son duo arrived downstairs, Doctor Spencer Reid was fumbling over the cooker like a busy housewife. The smell was delicious, and Hotch was slowly learning to not put anything past Reid – his talents were far beyond the realm of average human capability – for someone who looked like a university student who survived off little more than packet Ramen, Reid was a spectacular cook.

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><p>"Spencer, you should stay here all the time, your pancakes taste even better than Daddy's!"<p>

"I'd love to, believe me." Reid muttered with his mouth still half full. Jack was a very light hearted child and Reid knew he'd think nothing more of it, yet he wished that his comment would have the opposite effect on his father. His wish came true. Hotch's lips parted as if he were about to speak but no words came out. A rare, sweet smile momentarily showed itself instead, and Reid noticed. An eidetic memory came in so useful for reproducing images of things he desperately longed to see again. Reid closed his eyes and played back those past few seconds in his mind. Slowly, his thoughts turned from just watching the corners of his boss' lips curl upwards, to pushing his own lips against them, tipping Hotch's chin up with his hand stealing chaste kisses in forbidden situations. It felt derisorily cliché but he finally understood what it meant to have something so wrong seem so right.

Two out of two of the meals Agents Hotchner and Reid had shared in the past twenty four hours had passed by so quickly due to them being distracted by their thoughts. Jack could only assume that his Daddy was ignoring him, and ran up to his room to get dressed after shooting a quick "Thanks!" Spencer's way. Hotch began to excuse himself from the table when Spencer sprang up and before he could say wheels up, the lanky boy had wrapped his arms around the elder's shoulders and their lips had collided in a hot, syrupy instant. Their lips stayed closed and locked, no tongues were involved: It was a simple kiss. Pancakes had always been a favourite comfort food of Hotch's, but tasting them on his not-quite-lover's lips would give him a whole new perspective on his fondness.

Silence seemed to be their forte, as Spencer pulled away they both found it fitting to just swiftly carry on with their daily routines as if the kiss hadn't happened.

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><p>"Hop up into the car, buddy!" Cheered Hotch, he was getting such a natural high from the turn of events that morning, and he was dispersing rays of sunshine from his beaming face. Spencer had decided to go with them, and felt like a little child riding up front as he sat next to Hotch. Everybody was in a fantastic mood and the weather was almost as bright as their smiles. The day had barely begun, and as the trio took the twists and turns of the road –outwardly- in their stride, the two elder men of the company, unbeknownst to each other, made a correlation between their winding journey and their inexplicable feelings. <p>

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><p><strong>Thank you to yo for such an in depth review! I'm pleased that the story has such a positive response, and I'll be working as hard as I can alongside school work and such to improve it as it goes along :3<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not claim ownership of Criminal Minds or any of the characters.  
>Thank you for being so patient – I do apologise for the delayed update, I've been very ill. Also, forgive me if this chapter seems a little jumpy, fluidity between paragraphs is not my strong point. :3<strong>

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><p>Spencer stared unblinkingly at the Lady in the park.<p>

"I said, you have a beautiful son."  
>"Thank you, Ma'am." He had no desire to correct her. The fact that onlookers saw the two men and the child playing together and assumed nothing other than that they were a happy family delighted Spencer Reid; it brought colour to his cheeks. Or did they think Hotch was his father? He was suddenly uncomfortable. The unknown had a way of making Spencer Reid feel ill at ease - He was so clever, yet these out of control things, these things he couldn't just calculate – they made him feel positively sick. Spencer Reid dropped his gaze to the floor and shuffled away from the grass where they had been engaged in a game of football, and propped himself up against a tree, absorbing the charming sense of the paternal love Hotch so effortlessly displayed for Jack.<p>

Aaron Hotchner knew when to leave a situation well alone. No good would come of him speaking to his subordinate right now; obviously something had stirred him. He immersed himself into the game, being mindful of his son, the ball, and the smell of the air. Nothing else.

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><p>"Reid, we got an update on the case. Can you be here in twenty minutes? I sent a file to Hotch's phone you two need to get here fast." Morgan sounded less collected than usual and Spencer was unsure of how involved Hotch's son was in the cases, so rather than shouting anything out, he opted for a quick glance over to his boss and when they met each other's eyes, they agreed that it was time to go. Hotchner phoned Jack's Aunt and apologised for the short notice, unnecessarily as she saw it, but common courtesy for him, who owed her so much. She'd been nothing short of a miracle worker since Haley Hotchner had passed.<p>

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><p>The pair turned up at the BAU office, sidelining the smirks and indicative glances from their female co-workers; the time was neither appropriate for such behaviour, nor were they willing to admit to an embrace of any sort. Work over the last few days had been increasingly less enjoyable for Aaron Hotchner – no longer, it seemed, was his job about investigating and capturing criminals, but avoiding being interrogated himself about a suspected love affair with the boy genius. Hard work ensued, and he was already thinking forward to a well deserved drink at the end of the day.<p>

"Oh no y'don't!" Penelope Garcia practically pounced on Spencer Reid as he was on his way to get some air, and she aroused a sense of trouble. It wasn't just the case that was bothering him; everything was getting on top of him lately and he felt utterly helpless. "Go on then, spill, sweet cheeks. Something happened and I know it did – Low and behold the Queen of drama and juicy gossip once again picking up on the tell tale signs of a secret!"

He attempted to laugh it off.

"Ah, light, uncharacteristic laughter and rotational hand gestures suggesting that you're about to collapse into one of your awkward rambles – Trust me Reid, I know, and you know I know."

Reid wasn't about to crumble in front of his peers. He needed to come up with a way to distract Garcia from the fact that he was hiding something.

"Garcia, are you aware that the initial response to being tickled is actually to panic, due to the fact that-"

"-Seriously, Reid? Shut up! That fact wasn't even related to this situation, thus further proving that you thought of something on the spot to avoid telling me something you don't want me to know."

"I KISSED HOTCH. I KISSED HIM AND I LIKED IT, OKAY? NOW PLEASE, LET ME ALONE, I NEED SOME AIR."

Everybody in the room was taken aback at the Doctor's sudden outburst. Spencer hurriedly made his way to the door, closely followed by Agent Hotchner, who had no idea how he was going to resolve the occurrence. Eager to gossip, Garcia excitedly grinned at Prentiss, but Prentiss was aware that whatever was going on was serious, and could take a toll emotionally on the pair. She thanked her lucky stars that Strauss was not in the office.

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><p>"What the hell happened in there Reid?"<p>

"I can't do it anymore. It's not healthy for a person to have to oppress their feelings; you should understand that more than most. I realise that the aftermath of my eruption, as it were, could be fatal to both our jobs, but I trust our friends: Do you really think our team would tell Strauss that I kissed you? Does a kiss even mean anything?"

"Any sort of sexual contact between us gives our team an obligation to inform my superior that we are in breach of our code of conduct: What matters is that it happened, not whether it meant anything."

"So you're saying it didn't mean anything?"

"Those weren't the words I used."

"But you're certainly implying that you don't care. Don't you feel even slightly for me? Even as friends - as my boss – are you not concerned that my self esteem might be bruised because of what I did, and the fact that you don't care?"

"Enough with the questions Reid. I'm in no position right now to express my feelings. We have to go back in there and deal with the fact that my team now knows something has happened between us, and with all due respect to you, I'm not a damn bit looking forward to it."

When they did speak, it drove a wedge between them. Spencer Reid was aching, pining for the older man, and he'd done everything within his power to wholly mess up any chance they had together. From their conversation, he had understood that he was not a welcome guest in the Hotchner household any longer.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry but I won't be able to update the fic for a long while ;A; I have exams and coursework to concentrate on as I'm in my last year of high school - if you have this fic on your story alerts then maybe in a couple of months you'll get a surprise and find that I've updated, but until then, I can only offer my sincerest apologies~**

**Ashley **


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